One in 10 Young Adults in UK Identify as Lesbian, Gay or Bisexual – ONS

THE GUARDIAN: Stonewall CEO says data should be ‘wake-up call’ to organisations rolling back on LGBTQ+ rights

Around one in 10 young adults in the UK identify as lesbian, gay or bisexual (LGB), a proportion of the population which has doubled in the past five years, according to figures from the Office of National Statistics (ONS).

Just over 10% of 16 to 24-year-olds identified as LGB in 2023 – the most recent window polled – up from 4.4% in 2018, according to data from the Annual Population Survey. The largest rise came among young women, with 9.2% of women aged 16-24 identifying as bisexual, compared with 5.9% of males.

Simon Blake, the chief executive of LGBTQ+ charity Stonewall said the data should be “a wake-up call to organisations and governments who are rolling back on their commitments to LGBTQ+ rights and inclusion”.

“Lesbian, gay and bisexual people are a growing part of UK society, with more LGB young people than ever before,” he said. “The more than one in 10 of 16-24 year-olds identifying as LGB will be a crucial part of our workplaces, politics and lives. They will have colleagues, friends and families who support them, and they will deserve – and demand – equal rights and opportunities.” » | Alexandra Topping | Wednesday, January 29, 2025

Being attracted to someone of the same sex is one of the most normal things in the world. I don’t know what all the bloody fuss is about. People have been attracted to people of the same sex since the beginning of time. And people will go on being attracted to people of the same sex until the end of time. It is high time that people grew up and accepted human nature. We cannot fight human nature any more than we can influence tomorrow’s weather. And for those who believe in a god, if God truly does exist, and if He truly is omnipotent as we are told to believe, then, if same-sex attraction is contrary to His will, He wouldn’t have created same-sex attracted people in the first place. Surely, it is as simple as that! People make such a fuss about inconsequential matters! To each his own! Whatever floats your boat! – © Mark Alexander

A Brave Brazilian Man… | #shorts

…Explains What It’s Like to Be Gay in Brazil.

Joel and Harry : If You Go Away | Gay Themed

Jul 27, 2023 | Mini Series Name: Flowers in the Attic: The Origin 2022 Music: If You Go Away Performed by Scott Walker

Joel and Harry : If You Go Away | Gay Themed

Jul 27, 2022 | Mini Series Name: Flowers in the Attic: The Origin 2022 Music: If You Go Away. Performed by Scott Walker

BEST & WORST COUNTRIES IN EUROPE TO BE GAY:

Best and worst countries to be LGBTQ+ in Europe, revealed: The annual Rainbow Map ranking has named Malta as the best nation for LGBTQ+ rights in Europe for the eighth year in a row, while the UK’s score continues to fall. »

"Gay: 100% Human" | Reupload

"Labels are for clothes."
Many thanks to Lelyana T for this lovely, comical image.

Viktor…

via GIPHY

Always Good to See Two Men Walking Together and Holding Hands

Break those taboos!
Many thanks to Nuptiis and Pinterest for this photo.

Handsome Gay Turks with a Great Sense of Humour

Very many thanks to Taksim gay sohbet and Pinterest for this superb photo.

Bare and Hirsute

Photo : Adobe Stock

I’m Human!

Great quote on gay labels
Photo thanks to Gay on Pinterest

Who Sounds Gay? | Op-Docs | The New York Times

This short documentary explores the reasons that some men sound stereotypically gay, whether they are or not. Stereotypes surround all of us. In the LGBTQ community people expect some to fit into certain stereotypes. The one we explore in this video is sounding gay.

Dutch Men Hold Hands in Solidarity With Attacked Gay Couple

THE NEW YORK TIMES: From Amsterdam to New York, London to Havana, Dutch men across the world held hands this week to show solidarity with a gay couple who say they were brutally beaten in Arnhem, the Netherlands.

The outpouring of support came after the married couple, Jasper Vernes-Sewratan and Ronnie Sewratan-Vernes, said they were attacked by a gang of youths while holding hands on their way home from a party early Sunday.

According to a statement the Arnhem police posted on Facebook, the two said they had been attacked by men wielding bolt cutters; one had some of his teeth smashed out. » | Dan Bilefsky | Thursday, April 6, 2017

How To Deal With Homophobic Religious Extremists

When I Say "I'm Gay"

Is being gay a sin? Is being gay "unnatural," as boxer Manny Pacquiao said recently? These are questions I've thought deeply about.

US Pastor's Anti-gay Sermon Goes Viral
The rural US town of Maiden in North Carolina has become the latest flashpoint in an often bitter national debate about gay rights. Arguments from either side intensified after President Barack Obama earlier this month declared his support for gay marriage. In rural America's so called, "Bible Belt", many pastors have been rhetorical and at times hateful in their condemnation. A recent sermon posted online by a pastor, in which he outlines a plan to imprison homosexuals behind an electric fence and keep them there until they die, has gone viral. Al Jazeera's Kimberly Halkett reports from Maiden.

Gay Rights Campaigner Fined in Russia for 'Propaganda'

BBC: A court in St Petersburg has fined Russia's best-known gay rights campaigner for spreading "homosexual propaganda" among minors.

In the first ruling of its kind, Nikolay Alexeyev was fined 5,000 roubles (£105; $170; 129 euros) after being arrested under the new ban.

He pledged to appeal against the decision, going to the European Court of Human Rights if necessary. » | Friday, May 04, 2012

New Russia Law Bans 'Homosexual Propaganda'
Two gay activists have gone on trial in the Russian city of St Petersburg under a new law banning what authorities describe as "homosexual propaganda". Human rights groups say the new law is a major setback for human rights in Russia. Al Jazeera's Charles Stratford reports from St Petersburg.

The Man Who Believes He Can Help Gay People Turn Straight
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Dr Mike Davidson, a Christian campaigner with a homosexual past, says others, too, can reject what he calls a sin.

"I don’t want to be outrageous,” says Dr Mike Davidson softly – but it is hard to believe him. The 57-year-old Christian counsellor and campaigner has upset a lot of people lately, with his claims that homosexuals can become straight if they get enough help, therapy and prayer. The doctor has been called deluded and his work condemned as “inflammatory, homophobic and harmful”.

The Mayor of London has just banned advertisements that Davidson and his allies planned to put on the sides of buses, declaring: “Not Gay! Ex-Gay, Post-Gay and Proud. Get over it!” They were meant to mirror a campaign by the gay rights group Stonewall, but Boris Johnson pulled the ads after taking offence at the suggestion he saw within them.

“It is clearly offensive to suggest that being gay is an illness that someone can recover from,” said Johnson, who feared “a backlash so intense it would not have been in the interests of Christian people in this city”.

I’m expecting a firebrand. What I get is a gently spoken, slightly stooping man with a South African accent, who lives in a neat detached house in the countryside south of Belfast. His wife, Lynore, brings coffee and chocolate biscuits. They have been married for 32 years, during which time he claims to have been turned away from homosexuality by a combination of counselling, prayer and psychotherapy. He also claims to be able to help others do the same. Read on and comment » | Cole Moreton | Saturday, April 21, 2012

'God Hates Signs' - Gay Rights Protesters' Placards
There are two ways to get your placard noticed at a gay rights protest: be cute or be funny

To the photo gallery » | Hannah Booth | Friday, April 20, 2012

Australia: Gay Activists Kiss in front of Islamic fanatics at ‘2012 Global Atheist Convention’
”My partner Gregory and I decided to confront the fanatical Islamic protesters outside the 2012 Global Atheist Convention by kissing each other. The fanatical protesters chanted "Burn in hell" as we were showing our affection for each other. It was an extremely powerful and peaceful statement of love in the face of pure hate. Love will always conquer hate.”

GAY NEWS NETWORK: Gay Kiss at Atheist Convention: The Global Atheist Convention in Melbourne on the weekend attracted some 5,000 attendees to see speakers including Richard Dawkins, A.C. Grayling, Lawrence Krauss, Geoffrey Robertson and Ayaan Hirsi Ali. ¶ On Saturday, star attraction Richard Dawkins, speaking on the merits of religion, said Islam was “more evil” than Christianity in terms of its moral code. ¶ Self-described “infidel” Ayaan Hirsi Ali, who spoke before Dawkins on the rights of Muslim women, said Saudi Arabian women were protected from harm in the afterlife, "because it was impossible to go to hell twice”. ¶ Fiona Patten from the Australian Sex Party, which champions the rights of queer Australians, spoke on a panel about the dangers of allowing religion to interfere with politics. » | Andrew Shaw | Monday, April 16, 2012